Jonah 1:1-6
English Standard Version (ESV)
Imagine being on a first century boat in the midst of a mighty tempest, a storm so strong the ship is threatening to break up. It's so bad that all cargo is being thrown into the sea in the hopes of saving the lives of those on board. In the midst of all this, Jonah is somehow asleep. How would one sleep in the midst of this?
I think Jonah could only sleep because he had given up hope. He didn't expect to make it through, and he slept the sleep without expectation. He had fled from God, and when the storm came, he recognized it as punishment and gave up hope.
But God didn't give up hope. God was pursuing Jonah, but not to punish -- to redeem. God wanted to restore Jonah, and a dramatic entry was what it was going to take. God didn't turn away from Jonah when Jonah ran--God ran after him.
God doesn't give up on us, no matter what.
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